Abstract

The potential benefits of psychosocial factors were explored in a sample of military wives, many of whom were coping with stresses associated with deployment. Two groups of wives were recruited via e-mail, using a military list-serve. Some had husbands who were deployed (n = 22), while others had husbands who were not (n = 41). All completed a survey related to their present circumstances. Questionnaires assessed their overall well-being (the Perceived Stress Scale and Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale), as well as their social support (Social Support Questionnaire-6), marital quality (Dyadic Adjustment Scale-7), and sense of coherence (Orientation to Life Questionnaire). Comparison of group means showed no differences between the wives of deployed and non-deployed husbands on any of the variables. However, regression analyses showed one psychosocial variable—sense of coherence—to predict well-being in both groups. This and other potential factors affecting adjustment to military marriage are discussed.